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Chinese Expeditionary Force

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Not to be confused with theChina Expeditionary Army,anarmy groupof theImperial Japanese Army.
Chinese Expeditionary Force
Reunion of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the Chinese Army in India (X Force and Y Force).
Active1942–1945
Disbanded1945
CountryChina
BranchRepublic of China Army
TypeExpeditionary Force
RoleClose-quarters combat
Combined arms
Expeditionary warfare
Forward observer
Jungle warfare
Mountain warfare
Raiding
Urban warfare
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Sun Li-jen
Du Yuming
Joseph Stilwell
Wei Lihuang

TheChinese Expeditionary Force(traditional Chinese:Trung Quốc quân viễn chinh;simplified Chinese:Trung Quốc quân viễn chinh) was an expeditionary unit ofChina'sNational Revolutionary Armythat was dispatched toBurmaandIndiain support of theAlliedefforts against theImperial Japanese Armyduring theJapanese invasion and occupation of Burmain theSouth-East Asian theatreof theSecond World War.[1][2]

Background[edit]

In July 1937, theEmpire of Japanlaunched afull-scale invasionof China, and soon isolated the country from the rest of the world. The Chinese resistance led by Nationalist leaderChiang Kai-shekinChongqingwas heavily dependent on the supply line through theBurma Road,which reopened in October 1940. The United States was shipping materials to support Chinese resistance by late 1941 as part of theLend-Leasepolicy.[3]To cut off the Chinese supply line, the Imperial Japanese Army began to plan theinvasion of Burma.[4]From 1942 to 1944, 98 percent of all US lend lease to China went directly to US Army units in China, not the Chinese military.[5]

In December 1941, the surpriseattack on Pearl Harborby the Empire of Japan was immediately followed by the invasion of British colonies ofMalayaandBurma.The Second Sino-Japanese War consequently merged with the Second World War, and the China-Burma-India theatre was established with increasing American support.[6]TheBritish Empire,however, was preoccupied with the war in theEuropean theatre,and was unable to divert any resources to protect their colonial interests, in particular overBritish India.To secure Chinese participation in Burma against the Japanese, Britain and China signed a joint agreement in December 1941 concerning the mutual defense of theBurma Road.This agreement led to the creation of the Sino-British alliance and the Chinese Expeditionary Force.[7][8]

First expedition (March – August 1942)[edit]

Further information:Japanese conquest of Burma

TheJapanese invasion of Burmabegan in January 1942, and Japan conducteda series of air raidsoverRangoon,where the headquarters of theBurma Corpsof theBritish Indian Armywas located.[9]To relieve Allied positions in Burma, the Chinese Expeditionary Force (CEF) was formed from theFifth Armyand theNew Sixth Army,under the command of American Lieutenant GeneralJoseph Stilwell.[1][2]The CEF entered Burma in February 1942 and engaged with the Imperial Japanese Army at theToungoo.Stilwell arrived at the front on March 22, and the Chinese200th Divisionheld for twelve days against overpowering Japanese forces before retreating.[10][11]The setbacks against the Japanese Army escalated the tension between Stilwell and Chiang, as many Chinese commanders refused to carry out orders from Stilwell without approval from Chiang first.[11]The Japanese sooncaptured Rangoonin March and advanced toward the Burma Road.[2]The1st Burma Divisionof the British Indian Army were encircled by the Japanese at the oil fields in theBattle of Yenangyaungon April 18, and the 38th Division led by Lieutenant GeneralSun Li-jenattempted to relieve them.[12]

Stilwell retreating from Burma to India, May 1942.

The Allied forces led by the British decided to evacuate from Burma afterLashiofell to the Japanese on April 29. In response, Stilwell ordered a general retreat to India. The majority of the Fifth Army, led byDu Yuming,however attempted to retreat toYunnanthroughprimitive forestsin Northern Burma. The units were decimated by Japanese ambush along with malaria and dysentery,[13]suffering major losses. The failure of the first expedition led to the closure of the Burma Road, and future Chinese war efforts had to rely onthe Humpand the construction of theLedo Roadfor logistical support.[14]

Second expedition (Early 1943 – March 1945)[edit]

Further information:X Force (Chinese Expeditionary Force)andY Force
Chinese M4A4 Sherman

Between 1942 and 1943, many Chinese soldiers were airlifted from Chongqing to India and joined the ones who had followed the British retreat there earlier, they were trained under American advisors and became theX Forceinto which theNew 1st ArmyandNew 6th Armywas incorporated, which was supported byAmerican Special Forcesin their field operations.[15]For most of 1943, the Chinese Army engaged in several conflicts with the Japanese Army while defending the construction of the Ledo Road. In October 1943, the New First Army managed to defeat the Japanese veteran18th DivisionatHukawng Valley.[16]To secure the opening of the Ledo Road, the Chinese Army in India was retitled the "Northern Combat Area Command" (NCAC), and re-entered Burma in the spring of 1944.[17]The Chinese Army engaged and defeated the Japanese forces duringvarious campaignsin Northern Burma and Western Yunnan andrecaptured Myitkyinain August. Allied success in these campaigns enabled the opening of the Ledo Road. However, by the time Myitkyina was captured,Allied success in the Pacific theatrewas reducing the significance of theChina-Burma-India theatre.[18]

Intending to coordinate with the X Force, Wei Lihuang's Chinese Expeditionary Force in Yunnan, known as theY Force,crossed theSalween Riverin April andlaunched an offensiveagainst the Japanese Army. Y Force was composed of two Army Groups from the National Army; 11th Army Group(Commander Song Xilian, Deputy Commander Huang Jie, Chief of Staff Cheng Gang) and 20th Army Group (Commander Huo Kuizhang, Deputy Commander Fang Tian).[19]By January 1945, the Y Force had captured the town ofWantingon the China-Burma border and regained control of the land route from Burma to China. The first convoy via the newly opened Ledo-Burma Road reachedKunmingin February 1945.[20]

Aftermath[edit]

After returning to China, the American-equipped New First Army and the New Sixth Army fought in theChinese Civil War.Both were decimated by theCommunist forcesduring theLiaoshen CampaigninNortheast China,and ceased to exist.[21]A memorial for fallen Chinese soldiers from the Chinese Expeditionary Force was built inTengchong,Yunnan.[22]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^abTaylor 2009,p. 202.
  2. ^abcNewell 1995,p. 16.
  3. ^Eastman 1986,p. 145.
  4. ^Newell 1995,p. 3.
  5. ^Jay Taylor, Stilwell's The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China, pp. 271
  6. ^Eastman 1986,p. 280.
  7. ^Wax 2010,p. 17.
  8. ^Guyot-Réchard 2017,p. 64.
  9. ^Guyot-Réchard 2017,p. 61.
  10. ^Taylor 2009,p. 200.
  11. ^abNewell 1995,p. 18.
  12. ^Taylor 2009,p. 203.
  13. ^Taylor 2009,p. 205.
  14. ^MacGarrigle 1996,p. 4.
  15. ^Taylor 2009,p. 253.
  16. ^Taylor 2009,p. 254.
  17. ^Dunlop 2015,p. 3.
  18. ^MacGarrigle 1996,p. 8.
  19. ^Taylor 2009,p. 268.
  20. ^MacGarrigle 1996,pp. 8–10.
  21. ^Eastman 1986,p. 296.
  22. ^Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (October 19, 2011)."China Honors Its War Dead, but Quietly".The New York Times.Retrieved10 July2017.

Bibliography[edit]

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